1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to display stands in general, and more particularly to a display stand capable of prominently displaying the items being offered for sale that is capable of rapid and reliable automatic deployment at the site of and just prior to its use.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are already known various constructions of merchandise display stands, among them such that include respective main portions and foldable side portions that are pivotably connected with said main portions to constitute with them a sleeve-shaped formation, as well as other portions that complement the aforementioned portions and form various item-supporting shelves, platforms or other parts that give the display stand its desired final appearance in the erect condition of the display stand.
It has been also proposed, in order to facilitate the erection process, to interpose one or more elastic elements between certain portions of the display stand such that they are more tensioned in the folded, collapsed position than in the erect position of the display stand. So far, however, such certain portions have been either the foldable side portions themselves, or such side portions and some partitioning walls situated in the space bounded by the tubular formation. Examples of such display stands can be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,646,922; No. 4,723,664; and Re. 32,668.
Experience with at least some display stand constructions employing this principle has shown, however, that this solution leaves much to be desired. The most prominent of the problems encountered in this respect with the prior constructions was that most, if not all, of the available energy accumulated in the elastic element or elements when the display stand is in its folded condition is spent during the deployment of the display stand on overcoming the resistance to movement of the portions constituting the tubular formation and/or the partitioning portions, if any. There is not much stored available energy left for causing the movement of the other portions, especially any item-supporting platforms that may be provided, toward their desired final positions. The end result in many instances is an incomplete deployment of the display stand, which requires extensive and hence cumbersome human intervention for its completion. This, of course, is highly undesirable.